Entries this day: Do_today Eat_breakfast Singapore Vietnam! almost_late! gaza-departure-by-serena hitomi_card not_late_at_all practice_hula snake_catching_made_easy

Do today

7:42am SGT Friday 06 January 2006

Things to do today:

1. * sleep

2. * chow breakfast

3. * write Rob Update

4. * get passport and landing card(s)

5. * pack

   1. * computer
   2. * camera
   3. * headphones
   4. * camera battery
   5. * computer charger
   6. * electric adapters
   7. * Francois
   8. * fish book diary
   9. * book

6. * check balance in online accounts

7. * get US currency on credit card

8. * send US currency from bank to credit card

9. * call Hitomi (could not reach her)

10. * send Rob Update

11. maybe spend the few Singapore dollars that I have

Eat breakfast

8:39am SGT Friday 06 January 2006

Went up to Yacht Club and sat with Charles, director of Second Harvest Japan.

I wanted to ask him more questions than I did, but his question production frequency was a bit higher than mine. Did learn that this is his first time on PB (same for his 12 y/o daughter Mary), and they didn't particularly have a good idea of what it would be like (knowing "what it will be like" is basically an impossible task, I posit) but Mary realllllly didn't want to go at first, and now she realllllly doesn't want to go back home.

- - - -

He left around 8:12 and I jumped tables to Rei and Yuki's. They told me about their roommate this morning:

waking up, walking barefoot to the door, stopping to ask "where're my shoes?", turning around, deciding otherwise, "ah fuckit," going outside, standing, coming back in, "it's too far,"

Rei: "what's too far?"

"GET Street; it's too far..." and going back to bed.

Awesome.

Yuki has a tour early this morning, and Rei has a tour this evening; she may hang out with Maiko and Joel, who have no plans for today.

Singapore

8:09pm SGT Friday 06 January 2006

Today Carl and I took a train to Little India, and he treated me to lunch at a vegetarian buffet restaurant. We chowed until we couldn't possibly eat much more, then worked on some post cards. Misata, Maiko, and Rei happened by, and were walking away when I ran to the door to encourage them in. The manager was quite smiley thankful for that, and the girls seemed to enjoy the meal as well!

They chatted in high speed Japanese that I pretty much couldn't keep up with, but could get some of the words. I showed them the postcards that Hitomi printed for me from Palestine, and it made me remember that I need/want to do some sort of presentation on PB.

I got a bit more dessert and then we walk walk walked to Arab Street and then to the big Merlion near the water. We got some funny Francois pictures! The funniest by far were of him flying next to variou signs or over the water fountain.

We saw Xiangrun! He was near the big Merlion, and I tossed Francois to Xiangrun over the little Merlion for a photo. My second toss went a bit short, and Francois took a dive.

Met Jenny and Wing from Hong Kong after I took a pic for them with the big Merlion in the background. Carl and I traded email addresses with them.

They were like, "email us before 95 days, or we will forget you!" I emailed them my Rob Update; we'll see what happens.

Vietnam!

Vietnam!

Greetings from Singapore!

As I write this on the 7th floor of the ship, we haven't actually arrived in
Singapore.  I see we are slowly sailing through a sea of ships, most of which are
parked.  We cannot arrive early at the port, or the ship company will be charged a
significant amount of money. This is true of any port, apparently. "A thousand
dollars per minute" if we arrive early or stay late.

---- GET Team: ----

The teaching team on this voyage has bonded beautifully, and seems pretty close
with the CCs, Communication Coordinators (volunteer translators) on the ship.  GET
= Global English/Espanol Training.

GET Team (I reserve the right to make errors below):

Carl: one of my roommates, tall with short hair and friendly blue eyes.  He has
bicycled across the United States!   We often speak in ebonics.

Carla: from Canada, lives in my old room.  She laughs freely, around 140 decibels. 
We worked together at Nova; she was my favorite teacher there! I told her about PB.

Dan: my other roommate, on the bunk below mine.  Part of the food-cleanup team when
we eat as a group.  Roots in Polynesia, but from the US.

Isabel: From Italy, one of the Spanish teachers; she's the youngest in years, but
really well traveled for her age.  Did a several month tour around the world via Up
With People.  Fluent in 4 languages, and speaks 2 others.

Karen: my classroom mate (in GET room 8); From Wales.

Kellie: From Hawaii, but has lived in Japan for 10 years.  My favorite teacher when
I worked at Gaba; I told her about PB and will be learning some hula from her!

Laura: from Canada (I hope) and grew up on a 100 acre farm with plenty of space.

Lisa: my other classroom mate (in GET room 3); she and I giggle at quirks in the
fabric of life that are supposed to be taken as normal.  I knew her from Nova, but
didn't know she'd be on this voyage!

Maruan: from England, asks piercing questions, but always with permission.  He'll
give a workshop on Islam sometime.

Nick: from east coast Australia; loves sport and all things Aussie.

Pepe: from Mexico, our other Spanish teacher; he likes things to be just perfect.

Petra: Born in Jamaica, but raised in London.  She was on the 49th voyage with me!

Phil: from England, was on the 48th voyage.  Beautiful eyes and compassionate to
everyone he meets.

Rob: me, repeater from the 49th voyage, and writing far too much!

Tony: from San Francisco, can breakdance and spin records as DJ Super Woox.  Into
meditation and taking care of one's spirit.

---- Vietnam: ----

We have already visited Vietnam, with the ship docking in Tien Sa (near Da Nang),
and most of the GET Teachers taking a taxivan to Hoi An to eat, hang out, and get
clothes made.

Across the river from Hoi An, we stayed in a hotel suggested by Laura for $5 per
night per person.  Clean rooms and firm beds, but with limited linens (just
mattress covers and blankets, but no bed sheets).

In Hoi An, I had one main objective: to find my friend Tam (with a ^ over the a,
pronounced like "Tom" in English), a woman I met in May during the 49th PB voyage. 
At that time she had been really friendly, and said, "you come back one year, I
remember you.. you come back two years, I remember you.."

It took me not too long to get reoriented in the city, during which time I met a
friendly shopkeeper named An who invited me to follow her to her shop. I needed to
walk that direction anyway, so I joined her. She was super-talkative, though I
basically couldn't follow what she was saying.  We walked along the street, past
countless shops as countless bicycles and scooters passed us.

Once I recognized where Tam's stall should have been, I became anxious for our walk
to end so I could begin looking for Tam.  We got to An$(B!G(Bs shop after a few
turns down ever shrinking alleys, and I told her I would come back after I went to
find my friend.  She asked what time, but I wasn$(B!G(Bt willing to commit to
anything so serious as that...

I retraced our steps, memorizing where we had been, and before I got to the street
where I planned to start looking for Tam, a woman was like, "hey, will you come buy
something?" (or something like that) and I realized with glee, she was Tam!!

Her eyes and smile widened when I was like, "you're Tam!" and we talked for about 2
hours.  Her English has gotten a bit better since last time, and she referred to
her notebook a few times to select from one of hundreds of phrases she has written
in there with translations. She taught me how to ask for a price in Vietnamese, and
how to say "too expensive;" critical language for bartering in the markets.

She gave me a ride (on her motor scooter) back to my hotel, but we stopped at her
house on the way, and I got to meet her family!  I taught her nephews how to do
high fives and got a picture with them. Her brother leads a team who makes sandals
and boots on the front porch; I enjoyed watching how efficiently they work.

Tam took me back to the hotel, and offered to take me from the hotel to the port
the next day, and I gladly accepted.  We planned to meet at the hotel at 1pm.

I reconnected with most of the GET Team for dinner, and we were stuffed again (as
we had been for lunch) for a relatively low price. During the meal, several of them
had fittings for their new clothes; I just chilled in the conversation and
occasional drops of rain.

- -

The next day after breakfast, I walked with Laura, who said she wanted to get "off
the beaten path."  I suggested we walk by Tam's house, which was close and
definitely not a touristy area.

At their shoe shop, they offered to make sandals for me, saying they would be ready
in 30 minutes.  I put down a 50,000 dong deposit (about $4) on 100,000 dong price. 
I didn't want to pay the full amount until I talked to Tam, who had said the
previous day I could get them for 60,000 dong.

We walked a bit farther along the river, and we were invited inside for tea by a
woman named Lang.  She asked if we could help her with something, which involved
going outside somewhere.  I thought she needed us to carry some heavy rocks or some
such, so I accepted.  She led us out to her boat on the river; Laura and I were
hesitant to get in, but I ended up giving my stuff to Laura and went for a ride.

That's exactly what it was, too; "help me" meant "pay me for a boat ride."  When I
asked Lang where we needed to go and she said, "I don't mind left right okay you
choose," I started paddling back to shore. Good thing I had offered to help paddle.

I ended up paying her 10,000 dong.  In my mind, it was for the tea. I'm glad it was
such an inexpensive miscommunication.

I read a chapter or two of my novel (Either _Speaker for the Dead_ or _Xenocide_,
both by Orson Scott Card, and both given to me by my brother.  I started the latter
as soon as I finished the first.) and slept a couple hours until around noon, when
people started to regroup at the hotel for our trek back to Tien Sa.

Tam hadn't shown up at the hotel by 1:15, so I walked to her house to try to track
her down.  She was there, and said she could not take me, but that her husband
could, and asked if I would pay him the same amount I had paid for the original
trip.

I queried about the price of sandals, and after a quick dialogue in Japanese, she
told me that had she been here when I ordered them, she could have requested the
60,000 dong price, but these were higher quality sandals.

I paid the 50,000 dong, and back at port paid $8 for the ride.  Everyone I met in
Vietnam was really beautiful and friendly and happy to see us.  And financially
really poor.  I really don't want to think it was all an elaborate plot, or an
ingrained mode of living to get more money out of me.  But I can't imagine what my
life would be like in similar circumstances..

---- Singapore ----

Ironically, I have extended family in Singapore, but haven't made arrangements to
contact them.

Interestingly, we arrived 1 hour earlier than originally planned.  I don't know of
a good reason for the ship company to pay $60,000, so I assume we got permission.

We have arrived in basically the exact same place as my last voyage, with the
hanging gondolas above us, and plenty of cruise ship and yacht traffic all around.

I plan to spend some time reading emails in Singapore, given that wireless internet
access will be free in certain fast food restaurants.  I love getting emails so I
know how everyone is doing, but it may be a while until I get a block of time to
reply...

   Love Love Love
     - Rob! 

almost late!

9:30pm SGT Friday 06 January 2006

Run run run run run back to the customs thing, get through the line okay, then run run run and find a huge line at the ship. Oh shit.

But wait. That line isn't moving. We're going to be considered on time because *everyone* will be late. Apparently the docking mechanism wasn't working properly.

We sat for a while and it got fixed and we headed onboard.

Not late.

- - - -

Byebye to Sachie and Maho. Hello to Sandy.

gaza departure by serena

##20:38 Friday 06 January 2006

By now you may be aware that I am in Jerusalem with the four other delegates from the Olympia-Rafah Sister City Project, and Cindy and Craig Corrie. We chose to leave Gaza Wednesday morning after two men came to our apartment late Tuesday night asking us to go with them under the false pretense that we would be safer staying in their home. Our host in Rafah recognized this as an attempt to kidnap us and cautiously navigated the situation resulting in the bizarre scenario of the men shaking each of our hands and leaving. Though this experience was nerve-wracking at no point did I feel I was in any physical danger.

Kidnapping of foreigners has become increasingly common throughout the past month as the upcoming legislative elections get closer. The past week and a half in Rafah much of our time was spent discussing our safety. Our Palestinian friends in Rafah were very attentive and aware of the developing situation. Together with their support and guidance we attempted to navigate these unfortunate circumstances. Earlier on the day this incident occurred, our friends in Rafah strongly recommended that we leave for our own safety. Based on their concerns we had agreed to leave earlier than expected, though our rapid good-byes came more quickly than anticipated after our attempted kidnapping.

I meant to send out this report before this incident took place, but as circumstances in Gaza have become increasingly unstable and our situation shifted daily I found myself constantly having to update this report. I have decided to send it now as I think it contextualizes our attempted kidnapping in this pre-election period.

Last week as I sat in the Internet café a block from my apartment in Rafah reading the latest news from throughout Gaza and the West Bank I was left feeling vulnerable and uncertain. I was struck by how chaotic and unruly it all sounded, yet sitting there quietly reading and writing, being served free cups of hot tea by the young men who run the café, the stories on the screen felt distant and unrelated to my reality.

It had been difficult for me to write these past few weeks. I think it had to do with the fact that I felt more settled in, more at home. I had my routine. Each morning I woke up, stretched, made a pot of Turkish coffee on our one electric stove and headed out to a meeting, presentation, or some other sort of social gathering. The ability to create a routine in the midst of an uncertain, potentially dangerous situation grounded me. At the same time I was left feeling disoriented and disconnected from the events surrounding me.

I know the work I am doing, helping establish various cross-cultural projects, for example creating a network to sell women’s fair trade embroidery in Olympia or facilitating the connection between an elementary school class in Rafah and a school in Olympia, is a part of a larger vision. I know that this work is one project of many designed to educate people in the US about Palestine and the role the US government plays in continuing the occupation here. And as my friends in Rafah emphasize, educate people in Palestine about the American people and those of us who oppose the actions of the US government. But it is hard sometimes to feel that all of these things are in any way related to the daily realities of life in Gaza.

Daily I saw or heard second hand about the latest unrest in Gaza. The almost nightly bombings that have taken place over northern Gaza, the targeted assassinations, the implementation and blatant redeployment by the Israeli military of a “no-go zone” stretching 1.5 miles inside of Gaza on the northern and eastern boarders. The daily take-over of Palestinian electoral offices by various Palestinian factions angry over broken promises of jobs and positions of authority with in the PA (Palestinian Authority). Last week's news of two men killed by the IOF (Israeli Occupation Force) for being within the “no go zone”. News of two Islamic Jihad members killed by an apache helicopter air strike as they were driving in Gaza City one evening. The events taking place in Gaza are endless, one follows the other faster than I can learn about what is taking place.

Two weeks ago, as we drove out of Rafah heading towards Gaza City I looked out the window of the taxi and saw armed Palestinian police in their blue uniforms surrounding a group of masked men leaning against a near-by wall. I later learned that the men were demanding space on the ballot of the upcoming legislative elections scheduled to take place January 25th. With the run up to the elections tension mounts daily as gun fights and election office take-overs are increasingly common.

Even as I see glimpses of the reality, laying in bed reading while listening nightly to the shelling and bombing over Gaza City. Holding in my hand the one notice of warning Israel has given to those living and working inside the area Israel has declared a “no go zone”. It reads: “Residents of Northern Gaza, terrorists are launching missiles from beside your houses. The IDF (Israel Defense Force) is working to defend the security of Israel and they will continue pursuing the terrorists. You must leave this area. Staying will put your lives in danger. IDF Leadership.” Or walking through downtown Rafah as a parade of Palestinian police cars and trucks crammed full of police men with guns occasionally shooting into the air in an attempt to clear the traffic from their path as they mourned the loss of a fellow police officer earlier in the week. I still felt on the periphery of all that was taking place.

But every now and again an experience or story would jolt me back into what it really meant to be living Gaza. I felt this more strongly in the past few days, as the unstable situation in Gaza has resulted more and more frequently in the kidnapping of foreigners.

Last Wednesday three Brits were kidnapped as they entered Gaza from Rafah Crossing. I am relieved to say that on Friday they were released unharmed and the woman who was kidnapped and has been working in Gaza for the past year will continue her work here. I breathed a sign of relief upon hearing this news. But almost a quickly as my concerns were dispelled news of another kidnapping surfaced. The man, Italian, was released unharmed in a matter of hours after the PA took an active role in securing his release. These incidents heightened our awareness of our surroundings and sparked many conversations and concern from Palestinians regarding our safety.

Listening to the concerns and advice from our friends in Rafah, we had made the decision Tuesday afternoon to leave Gaza by the end of the week. Our remaining time in Rafah was shortened even further after the attempted kidnapping we experienced Tuesday night. As we said rapid good-byes to the few friends who were able to see us off I still could not process that we were leaving. Our time in Rafah was cut short and it was painful to leave all the people I have come to know and love, yet the two months we were able to spend there were amazing.

We accomplished many of the goals we began with and laid the foundation for continued cooperation and cross-cultural connection to take place. Continuing this work is extremely important and sends a strong message of our commitment to solidarity with the Palestinian people in spite of the action of a small sector of the population carrying out the kidnappings. The act of kidnapping foreigners will not deter us from our commitment to the Palestine people, and the people of Rafah in particular.

We will continue to work in solidarity with Palestinians as stopping sets a precedent for internationals to discontinue their work in Gaza. Such actions would send the message that the acts of a few have the potential to dismantle years of energy put towards building trust and understanding between Palestinian’s and internationals in Gaza. We will continue to foster the friendships we made during our two months in Rafah and find creative ways to carry out the projects we began despite our rapid departure.

I feel incredibly supported by the friends we have made in Rafah. They gave all their spare time to accompanying us when we traveled and constantly checked in with us wanting to know that we were okay when they were not around. As one friend put it, “We will provide you with security not with weapons, but with our friendship and love”

The kidnappings taking place in Gaza are different and unrelated to the kidnappings taking place in Iraq. They are a part of the internal power struggle in Gaza. The majority of kidnappings have been used to pressure the PA for jobs within the Authority, or to secure the release of friends or family jailed by the PA. In Iraq kidnappings are employed to release prisoners held by the US or to demand an end to the Occupation. In Iraq kidnappings are used as collateral to pressure an external power whose control is not affected by the kidnappings. Yes, it represents the sense of chaos and lack of control the US maintains over Iraq, but the media uses it to justify the continued occupation under the guise of achieving security before leaving. The US will not give in to the demands of the kidnappers as they feel it will display a weakness in US foreign policy.

Kidnappings in Gaza are primarily used to put pressure on the internal power players, namely the Palestinian Authority. In the eyes of the international community these acts do not benefit the PA in any way, but rather undermine their legitimacy. The media is more than willing to uses the kidnappings to discredit the PA. Saying such things as “mayhem in the Gaza Strip....has embarrassed Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, threatening to undermine his Fatah Party…”

It doesn’t take much thought to determine that the rationale of kidnapping foreigners to be used as bargaining chips in Gaza are borrowed from Iraqi resistance to the US occupation, but the goals and politics behind them differ. The phenomenon of kidnapping in Gaza is new. It had been the topic of conversation everywhere we went in Rafah and without fail the people we met condemn these acts. My analysis about this is in no way comprehensive but having spent countless hours with dozens of Palestinians discussing this I feel I should share some of what I heard.

Many people I have spoken with see the kidnappings as a sign of unrest due to the upcoming elections. It is one aspect of the larger climate that has developed here during the election season. This is a phase, growing pains that Palestine is experiencing as it attempts to hold its first legislative elections since 1996. People have hope that post-election the situation will change, as a governmental structure will take shape challenging the unruly atmosphere that currently exists. There is still talk of the elections being canceled though people remain optimistic that they will take place.

Last summer's Israeli disengagement, or rather, redeployment left a power vacuum leading various political factions jockeying for control. The PA has been weakened and the Palestinian public views it with skepticism because of internal corruption as well as Israel successfully undermining their credibility through such policies as unilateral decision making. Despite Israel's redeployment it has continued to exploit the daily lawlessness in Palestine and Gaza in particular. With threats to prohibit Palestinians in East Jerusalem from voting due to Hamas' participation in the elections, with the creation of a "no go zone", targeted assassinations as I mentioned earlier, and on and on the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank undoubtedly play a role in the ensuing state of unrest in Gaza.

To expect that Palestine, lacking status as an independent country, can effectively hold elections while under military occupation is unrealistic. I hear criticism of the PA for not controlling the unfolding events taking place in Gaza but the inability of the PA to govern Gaza is not purely a home grow problem. Yes, there is corruption within the PA contributing to its ineffectiveness, but one cannot deny the role Israel has played in undermining its ability to establish any sort of credible and therefore effective government. Due in large part to the continued Israeli occupation the PA is unable to provide basic services and meet the needs of the people. This has ripened the playing field for others to step up to bat. In this pre-election season we see these power struggles playing out in the streets, in electoral offices, and in the use of foreigners to pressure the PA to acknowledge the interests of individuals and groups.

It is an intense but fascinating time to be in Palestine. In spite of the kidnapping attempt I am thankful that I was able to experience some of what it is like to be in a place where people feel passionate about their lives, their hope for freedom and for a better future. I do not agree with many of the tactics employed by various Palestinian factions but I cannot deny that there is much more participation in the political process in Palestine than in the United States.

As the international media continues to portray the instability in Gaza as solely the fault of the PA and armed militant groups we must recognize the role our government and the Israeli government's policies have played in creating the events now unfolding. In this globalized world we have the ability to witness and support grassroots movement for justice taking place all over the world. Building relationships with those whom our government categorizes as "terrorists" or "communists" breaks down these generalizations and lays the foundation for trust to be fostered. I have experienced the strength and power this work holds and have see the positive impact of even the simplest acts of solidarity.

hitomi card

9:44pm SGT Friday 06 January 2006

Awwwww.. I got a precious postcard from Hitomi! It's all handmade (on her printer) and includes the kanji for my name.

I remember that I enjoyed
this lesson of you, But I didn't
understand this story a bit
when I had your lesson.
I felt sad because I like your
lesson.  After that, I read
a lot and I understand and
memorized this story.
So. I was able to read with
no text when I had this 
lesson again!

The lesson was definitely one of my favorites to teach at Nova. Probably my favorite: The Legend of Willy the Kid

Willy the Kid arrived in Dodge City one evening.
He walked into the saloon, and looked slowly round the room.
Everybody was afraid. Willy had two guns.
The Sheriff was in his office.  He was asleep.
The saloon barman rushed into the Sheriff's office.
"Willy the Kid's in town!"
The Sheriff hurried to the saloon.
The Sheriff shouted to Willy.  "Give me your guns, Willy."
Willy replied calmly. "This town is too small for both of us."
They walked into the street.  The Sheriff waited.
Willy moved his hand towards his gun...
The Sheriff pulled out his gun.
He fired twice.  The first bullet missed Willy.
The second bullet killed him.
Two cowboys carried Willy away.
That was the end of Willy the Kid.

not late at all

11:00pm SGT Friday 06 January 2006

The boat is supposed to leave now, but because of a problem with the bunkering (refueling), we won't be leaving until "early in the morning."

practice hula

12:27am SGT Saturday 07 January 2006

We had a lovely hula practice tonight; everyone is doing so well!! I'm especially happy to see Kellie happily teaching hula, which is quite specifically the first thing she wanted to do on the ship when she learned we could do our own workshops.

Carl on my left, then Carla, then me and Yuki are all in a line in the back row. There's another person to Carl's left, but I've forgotten who.

Really genki fun.

The ship hasn't left yet.

snake catching made easy

This was stolen from ehow.com. Everything looks normal until we get down to the last item in Tips.

How to Catch a Snake

Have you ever wondered how the professionals on TV catch snakes so easily? Do you want to get one out of your garden without hurting it? Or do you just think it would be cool to catch and get a close look at such a fascinating creature? Here's how to catch a wild snake safely and humanely.

Things You'll Need

• a fair amount of courage
• a snake
• a snake-stick
• a pair of snaking gloves
• an snake-case
• a good place to release the snake, and make a safe getaway
• have a getaway car nearby, some snakes are capable of driving stick.
• Alternate Method 1: large snake can, snake broom
• Alternate Method2: a hollow stick, a rope, a candlestick, a crescent wrench

Visit eHow


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.

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